<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> During the last few decades, the possibilities and limitations of qualitative media audience research have regularly been discussed in media and communication research. Quantitatively oriented researchers have claimed that qualitatively oriented research is incapable of producing general knowledge. From a ‘radical ethnographic’ point of view it has been stated that such knowledge is more or less useless, while other qualitatively oriented researchers have approached the question of generality in a more balanced way, and argued for the necessity to interpret specific events within a framework of more general theories. But these solutions are not satisfactory. The aim of this article is to suggest an alternative conceptualisation of generality. From the meta-theoretical viewpoint of critical realism, this article states that generalisations have to take into consideration the domain of the deep structures of reality. Qualitative media audience research should aim at producing general knowledge about the constituent properties or transfactual conditions of the process of media consumption.</p></abstract>

During the last few decades, the possibilities and limitations of qualitative media audience research have regularly been discussed in media and communication research. Quantitatively oriented researchers have claimed that qualitatively oriented research is incapable of producing general knowledge. From a ‘radical ethnographic’ point of view it has been stated that such knowledge is more or less useless, while other qualitatively oriented researchers have approached the question of generality in a more balanced way, and argued for the necessity to interpret specific events within a framework of more general theories. But these solutions are not satisfactory. The aim of this article is to suggest an alternative conceptualisation of generality. From the meta-theoretical viewpoint of critical realism, this article states that generalisations have to take into consideration the domain of the deep structures of reality. Qualitative media audience research should aim at producing general knowledge about the constituent properties or transfactual conditions of the process of media consumption.

Rethinking the Rethinking

Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Media and Communication Studies, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro,

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Problem of Generality in Qualitative Media Audience Research

During the last few decades, the possibilities and limitations of qualitative media audience research have regularly been discussed in media and communication...

Rethinking the Rethinking

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 31 - 44

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0217

Keywords
generality, critical realism, media audience research

© by Göran Eriksson

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Rethinking the Rethinking

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 31 - 44

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0217

Keywordsgenerality, critical realism, media audience research

© by Göran Eriksson

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
generality, critical realism, media audience research